The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has re-arrested former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Fani-Kayode was on Friday arrested by EFCC operatives as he left the Federal High Court premises in Lagos.
On Thursday, the former Aviation Minister released a statement alleging that the EFCC was planning to re-arrest and detain him.
He said the information was leaked to him by his sources within the anti-graft agency.
“I have been reliably informed by my sources within the EFCC that they are planning to re-arrest and detain me for as long as possible once again even though I have been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Lagos,” Fani-Kayode stated.
He said that fresh charges were filed against him by the EFCC at the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 7, accusing him of collecting N26 million naira from the NSA’s office in 2014.
“These are politically-motivated charges and there is no truth in or substance to them whatsoever,” he stated.
Fani-Kayode added that the case had been assigned to Justice John Tsoho and the date for arraignment was initially fixed for October 14, but on that day, the EFCC did not show up.
“The matter was therefore adjourned till November 10 and my lawyers have given an undertaking to the Judge to ensure that I am in court on that day.
“They have also written to the EFCC to that effect and our letter was acknowledged by them,” Fani-Kayode said.
He accused the EFCC of being a willing tool in the hands of those he described as hawks and hardliners in the Buhari administration, who he said might be acting on superior orders as well.
He said the commission was desperate to keep him out of circulation and off the streets, adding that he had been reliably informed of what the anti-graft agency was asked to do by the Presidency.
Apart from him, he said that the EFCC was also planning to arrest his wife and his eight- month old son just to hurt and spite him even though they had done nothing wrong.
The former minister was earlier arrested on May 9 by the anti-graft agency, and charged to court, and was later granted a N250 million bail.
He was eventually released from EFCC custody On July 15, after he met his bail conditions.
Shortly after his release, he described his incarceration as the “the worst experience of my life”, adding that “I am innocent of all charges and I look forward to defending myself vigorously in court.”